Current Affairs Update 25 December 2018
Current Affairs is an important part for many exams. Be prepared for this section with ByScoop which brings all the important Current Affairs in one place. 25 December 2018
India’s 1st Engineless Train-18 gets clearance for commercial run
- The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) has given the green signal for the launch of Train-18, India’s first engine-less train.
- CCRS approval is a must for the commercial run of any new service.
- The 16-coach train has successfully completed the speed trail at 160 kmph at Safdarjung-Agra section and Moradabad and Kota sections where it crossed the speed of 180 kmph.
- However, the Rs 100-crore blue-nosed engineless train will need to ensure the provision of sturdy fencing all along the track for speed beyond 130 kmph and upto 160 kmph.
- To begin with, Train-18 will be running at a maximum speed of 130 kmph and once the fencing work is complete, the speed will go up to 160 kmph.
- The train is likely to be launched on December 29 between Delhi and Varanasi.
India Takes Over Operations of Iran’s Strategic Chabahar Port
- Indian state-owned joint venture India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) formally took over operations at the Shaheed Behesti port at Chabahar in Iran on 24 December 2018.
- Iran formally handed over the control of Chabahar port to India during a first meeting of the follow-up committee for the implementation of the Chabahar Agreement between Iran, Afghanistan, and India in the port city Tehran.
- The Chabahar Agreement was signed between India, Iran and Afghanistan for establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran.
PM Dedicates Bogibeel Bridge in Assam to the Nation
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge “Bogibeel Bridge” in Assam, to the nation on December 25.
- The bridge is constructed over the River Brahmaputra between Dibrugarh and Dhemaji districts of Assam.
- The Prime Minister also flagged off the first passenger train, from Tinsukia in Assam in south bank to Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh in north bank, through the bridge.
- Salient Features of the Bogibeel Bridge
- The total length of the bridge is 4.94 kilometers.
- It will connect the two northeast states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
- The bridge is constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5,800 crore and has a serviceable period of around 120 years.
- It has a two-line railway track on the lower deck and a three-lane road on the top deck.
- Bogibeel Bridge is India’s first bridge to have fully wielded steel-concrete support beams that can withstand earthquakes of magnitudes upto 7 Richter Scale.
- The foundation of the bridge was laid in January 1997 by Prime Minister H.D.Deva Gowda but construction was inaugurated only in 2002 by Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee.
Ministry of Power to make all meters smart prepaid by April 01, 2022
- Ministry of Power, Government of India has decided to make all electricity meters smart prepaid in 3 years from 1st April, 2019.
- Move towards smart meters is a pro poor step as consumers need not pay the whole month’s bill in one go, instead they can pay as per their requirements.
Good Governance Day Observed on December 25
- Good Governance Day is observed annually on December 25 since 2014 to mark the birth anniversary of former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- The day was announced on 23 December 2014 by the newly elected administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Marking the 94th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee on 25 December 2018, “Sadaiv Atal”, the Samadhi (memorial) of the leader was dedicated to the nation near Rajghat in New Delhi.
- It has been completed at a total cost of Rs. 10.51 Crores
- Sadaiv (always) Atal memorial will be managed by a trust headed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
P.V. Bharathi appointed MD and CEO of Corporation Bank
- P.V. Bharathi has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Corporation Bank.
- Presently she is the Executive Director (ED) of Canara Bank and will take charge on February 01, 2019
- Present MD/CEO of Corporation Bank- Shri. Jai Kumar Garg.
Lewis Hamilton Wins Inaugural Drivers’ Driver of the Year Honour
- After claiming his 5th Formula One World Drivers’ Championship (WDC) in 2018, the British racing driver, Lewis Hamilton also took home the inaugural Drivers’ Driver of the Year.
- Points were handed out based on F1’s current system, with 25 points given to the top driver on each list.
- Hamilton is just the third man in history to secure a fifth world title.
- Max Verstappen was ranked second followed by Fernando Alonso in the WDC 2018.
- WDC is awarded to the most successful Formula One racing car driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on individual Grand Prix results.
Legendary singer Dwijen Mukhopadhyay passes away at 91
- Legendary Bengali singer Dwijen Mukhopadhyay passed away at the age of 91.
- Mukhopadhyay bagged the prestigious Padma Bhushan award in 2010.